Understanding of different types of Mobile Applications

Hybrid Apps

Hybrid apps are an integration of Native and Web apps. Like Native applications, they exist in an app store and can have the benefits of available device features. Like web applications, they depend on HTML to render on the browser.

Single code base for all platforms ensures low-cost maintenance and smooth updates.The inner workings of a hybrid application are similar to a web app, but it installs like a native app.

Architecture:

This program obtains the interface between Native applications and web applications.The Hybrid App approach advanced to deliver platform independence while giving access to device hardware and offline operations. 

This is accomplished by building applications using HTML5 pages that run in the program installed inside native application. This application at that point gives an extension to the HTML5 pages to get to the low-level gadget capacities. 

Technology Used:

These are developed using technologies like HTML, CSS, Javascript, JQuery, Mobile Javascript frameworks, AJAX, JSON, Cordova/PhoneGap etc. 

 These also use web browsers to display content and user interfaces but they use the native elements as well as web-based elements for development.

Advantages:

• Easier to develop, update, test and tune up
• Low cost for development & Low maintenance
• One app code base is compatible with multiple platforms
• hybrid apps can work perfectly offline
• it has a broader reach toward the users.

App performance:

For complex apps, the abstraction layers often prevent native-like performance, and therefore hybrid apps tend to perform slower in comparison to native ones

Because of Unified development, Hybrid Apps have benefits of both – Web Apps & Native Apps.

That’s why they work faster &  smoother with updates.

User Interface:

UI frameworks can fairly achieve a native look, but in most of the cases, it features a common look in order to shorten development periods and save money

Code Portability:

Most hybrid tools allow portability of a single code-base to multiple mobile platforms

Disadvantages:

• Apps possess usual pros and cons of both native and web apps
• more expensive than web apps, Less interactive than native apps
• They lack in performance, speed and overall optimization
• Design issues due to app inability to look similar on multi platforms.

Examples:

Web Apps

Web apps are built using web technologies and they serve web pages using the existing web browsers on devices. These are not exactly mobile apps but a website in the form of a mobile application, which means, a web-based application which works on any mobile device or operating system.

A web application gets stored on the Internet and can be executed on any browser. 

Adaptive web applications scale to fit the different screen sizes of mobile devices. Web apps are built using the most popular programming languages, but they can’t use hardware on mobile devices or be sold in any app stores.

Architecture:

Mobile web apps are designed to run on a mobile web browser. They are built using multiplatform web technologies like HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript. HTML5 is the most popular and promising technology for ’Write Once Run Anywhere’. Almost all mobile web browsers running on high-end mobile devices support HTML5 to a large extent, and all are trying to achieve full compliance. Thus, it is safe to consider HTML5 as the technology of choice for developing mobile web apps.

Technology Used:

Web apps use a browser to run and are usually written in HTML5, JavaScript or CSS. These apps redirect a user to URL and offer an “install” option by simply creating a bookmark to their page. Web applications require a minimum of device memory, as a rule.

Advantages:

• Reduced business cost
• Better reach as it can be accessed from anywhere
• Always up-to-date
• Easy availability of developers

App performance:

Performance is fully responsive as well as linked due to browser work and network connection having enough resources to provide user oriented results.

Web Apps are enough efficient to handle increased load with the similar performance quotient.

User Interface:

Web Apps can easily change sizes according to device and easy to use on any device having internet connection and an active browser. Even the best apps can’t give a user fully native experience due to cross-platform UI and UX design, but meanwhile web Apps can achieve a fairly native look.

Disadvantages:

• Without internet can’t work
• Dependent on internet speed
• Interface not that sophisticated
• Complex features can’t be used
• Take a longer time to develop
• Security risk.

Examples:

Cross Platform Apps

Numerous individuals get confused that hybrid and cross-platform apps are the equivalent. In any case, the main similarity between the two sorts of the application is the “code shareability.” The cross-platform application approach also permits developers to compose code once and reuse for various platforms.

It is the best methodology for low cost custom applications with secure, stable, and simple to keep up and repeat features. Many cross-platform application improvement systems are there that help to accomplish the Native app-like feel and user experience.

Architecture:

Debugging of an App depends on the framework. It is a single code base with potential platform specific capabilities. cross-platform applications combine the best characteristics of hybrid and native software products, allowing you to build a single template and reuse it for multiple OSs. 

they pay off with significant savings on time and resources. 

Technology Used:

Flutter, React Native, Xamarin are usually used for the development of such apps. Mobile websites are developed in the same way. Cross-platform application is targeted for all platforms and adapted to the majority of devices since a browser engine is used for its functioning.

Advantages:

• Codes can be reduced
• Cost friendly
• Quicker development time
• Easier Implementation
• Sameness and Uniformity

App performance:

Talking about performance, then it depends on the framework you choose for your cross-platform app development. However, they offer close to native UX, easy implementation, and cost-effective development. The approach can be said to be better than Hybrid, but still Native remains, a King.

In the Native approach, there is no limitation in terms of app performance and speed. It enables developers to use advanced features including Access USB input, complex networking, memory management, etc. The unmatched user interface will update as the operating system updates over time, in the Native approach.

Hybrid has limited access to device and OS features. Cross-platform has limitations but less than Hybrid, although it depends on the framework you choose. 

User Interface:

The user retention rate entirely depends on the application of user experience and interface. If the app has poor user experience, users are more likely to abundant the app after using it once. To impress the users and hook them on the app, native application development is beyond compare.

Even so, using the cross-platform frameworks such as Flutter or React Native is better than any Hybrid framework. Still, if we compare cross-platform vs. native, the winner will be the same, Native.

Disadvantages:

• Poor Performance
• Limited access to feature
• Issue in frequent updates
• Rendering time takes longer

Examples:

Progressive Web Apps

Progressive web applications resemble normal site pages yet give extra user functionalities like working offline, push notifications and device hardware access which was before just accessible to native applications. 

The extraordinary thing about PWAs is that they can be accessed through the app icon on the device home screen and when clicked, prompts the app website. PWAs are present day innovation pointed toward giving a consistent mobile experience. They are ‘native applications like’, get auto updated, are served through HTTPS so are very safe, they can run quick yet giving comparative user experience and are effectively installable.

Architecture:

It is required to separate static content from dynamic content for building a PWA. The exclusive approach to their development is App Shell Architecture which is the base of the User Interface. In order to run the app in offline mode, the app shell must contain core design elements required for app development. This approach works well in case of heavy JavaScript apps with one page and with apps whose content keeps changing but with stable navigation.

 TLS –Stands for Transport Layer Security Protocol. It is the standard for secure data exchange between two apps. The website requires serving HTTPS and SSL Certificate on the server.

 Advantages

• Low on Data. An app which takes close to 10 MBs as a native app, can be reduced to about 500KB when made a PWA.
• PWAs get updated like web-pages. You get the latest version when you use. No need to update them every now and then.
• You don’t need to install them to start using. They are simple web-pages. Users choose to ‘install’ when they like it.
• Sharing is Easy. Unlike an app, you can share a PWA with its URL.
• Much more convenient than websites because of capability to operate offline or in compromised networks

Disadvantages

• PWA experience via social media isn’t famous these days as increasingly more social media organizations are making their own in-application program.
• Plugins can’t bring information from Facebook and Google Apps. You have to independently login on the web as well.
• Full help isn’t accessible in default browsers of some of the manufacturer’s.
• It can’t utilize the most recent equipment progressions (like fingerprint scanner).
• Key re-engagement features are limited to Android, for example, add to home screen, notification and so forth.
• Traffic from Play Store can’t be coordinated to the mobile application. You miss critical traffic who use Play store for their primary search.

Examples:

Few more types of Applications are also available in the market – Xamarin Apps, React native Apps, Lite Apps, To know details about them keep following us.